The Saint Peter’s Peacocks‘ Cinderella run in the 2022 NCAA tournament continued Friday, as they defeated the Purdue Boilermakers to advance to their first-ever Elite Eight.
Coach Shaheen Holloway’s squad knocked off the 3-seed Boilermakers behind 14 points from Daryl Banks III. Guard Doug Edert chipped in 10 points from the bench. The key difference in the game was turnovers — Purdue had 15 giveaways compared to Saint Peter’s eight. The Peacocks are the first 15-seed to make the Elite Eight, and they tied the largest upset in Sweet 16 history (+13), per ESPN Stats & Information research.
Saint Peter’s is the only team to win multiple games as a double-digit underdog in an NCAA tournament since the tournament expanded in 1985 (+18.5 vs Kentucky, +13 vs Purdue), per ESPN Stats & Information. The Peacocks also ended a state drought, becoming the first team from New Jersey to reach the Elite Eight since Seton Hall in 1991.
Once the game was over, plenty of stars — and a few other Cinderella squads — offered their thoughts on Saint Peter’s magical run on social media:
st. peter’s ??
— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) March 26, 2022
.@PeacocksMBB pic.twitter.com/Q8MNlQAbRg
— UMBC Athletics (@UMBCAthletics) March 26, 2022
Hoosiers ? Peacocks
— Cody Zeller (@CodyZeller) March 26, 2022
St.Peter’s !!!!!!! Congratulations on the Elite 8 @CoachSha10
— Mike Kidd-Gilchrist (@MKG14) March 26, 2022
That game was awesome… March is Madness ??
— Pat Connaughton (@pconnaughton) March 26, 2022
Cinderella Lives ON!!!!!!!! Congrats Saint Peters ???
— Jason Thompson (@jtthekid) March 26, 2022
We ? you @PeacocksMBB! ?@Jesuit_BBall pic.twitter.com/s47KjZWcoC
— Loyola Men’s Basketball (@RamblersMBB) March 26, 2022
Is Doug Edert on any draft boards?
— Evan Turner (@thekidet) March 26, 2022
DO THE PEACOCK STRUT! ?#MarchMadness @PeacocksMBB pic.twitter.com/rgMhhquYkB
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 26, 2022
Play Ball. Have Fun. https://t.co/P78p0IRwym
— Geno (@GenoSmith3) March 26, 2022
What They Gon Say Now‼️
Great Game Saint Peter’s— Todd Gurley II (@TG3II) March 26, 2022
Peacocks!!!! !!
Listen to how @CoachSha10 got his squad ready for this moment! ⬇️ https://t.co/scYWgeY4hu
— Greg Olsen (@gregolsen88) March 26, 2022
Source:ESPN
